Battle in the Darkness
by Hiryu1
Summary: A dark warrior conpletes a mission after meeting up with an old friend.
1. Default Chapter

He moved fast against the wind that scraped the tall buildings of the city. Never before had he been in such a monstrosity of metal and machinery as the sky scraper he ran up with the ease of a "Class-A" Strider. His red bandana tails flew wildly in his assent to the top, fluttering in angles that would detour any targeting system from doing its job. He kept his weapon, "Cypher"; a duel handled bladed weapon parallel with his elbow.  
  
His hand went to the pick at his side as he reached the top of the skyscraper and jumped into the night toward a window five hundred feet away. As he neared the tower he plunged the pick into the concrete wall and began to climb to another window, this one near the very top of the one hundred story building. As he neared the window he felt a flicker in the shroud of night. Continuing on to the roof he found the flame.  
  
She was garbed similar to him, white robes of the Strider contrasted his navy blue and red, her hair was tied back by a long coiled cloth, her eyes red with flame as she stared at the ghost. Behind her slender waist was a double bladed throwing dagger with glowing red blades. "Kage, you're not welcome here!" she began in the now common language of the new world. "Leave now, before I have to kill you." She brought the weapon from her back, its red blades glistening in the starlight.  
  
The man was silent; slowly bringing Cypher into a balanced attack position. After what would seem like a long silence he spoke, his voice soft and calm. "I will accomplish my mission. Ayame, please don't get in the way." Cypher spun to deflect a blast of energy in the shape of a double bladed dagger. The dark figure burst into a run, his steps seemed like rain on a tin roof his balance perfect, his blade precise as he slashed through thin air.  
  
The woman had jumped a split second before the blade could hit. Now falling to the roof she sent three spinning copies of her weapon at the young one, strafing the area around him. She landed in a run, her feet moving as swiftly as the other's catching the three blades back in her weapon she dropped into a roll to avoid the next cut from Cypher, then the clash of her dagger against the blade as the two furiously worked their blades. Their dance began to spark and flare as if their souls themselves were dueling as well as their bodies.  
  
He cut left, right then down, blocking the continuous assault of his beautiful opponent. Then, pulling small clay orb from his obi and slammed it to the ground releasing a thick opaque smoke, and was gone into the night.  
  
As the smoke had cleared the woman looked around and faded into the chambers of her charge, now dead. Upon seeing the dead official she gazed out to window into the night. She knew who had been there. 


	2. Cyto and His Machienes

He slid down the vertical incline of the building using his pick only to slow his fall and maintain balance. He watched the world slow to a standstill as the glowing red energy blades sliced by his face, chest, and knees each slicing open a portion of his clothing. "Ayami, why do you continue this?" he spat as he plunged his sickle into the wall and planted his feet on a pain of glass.  
"It is a new world, Kage." She began dodging a flaming orb by jumping down a few feet on the wall. "The overlord now has control of the world. You cannot stop this flood of order." She finished with another strafe of three energy blades and a charge toward him.  
"The balance of chaos over law can only be set by one versus one Ayami, you know that." He countered as he parried a double slice form her blade. He spun low bringing his sword up neatly slicing the white silken obi from her small waist. After all these years she still was a beautiful woman, he thought as the obi fluttered the fifty stories down to the ground.  
He gave a smile and a wink as he parried another slice, then jumped off of the wall about twenty feet and angling down as the hang-kite swooped below him. His body flattened and spun to find position in the vehicle and turned the glider into the night. He couldn't hear what his opponent was saying but he saw the energy blades whirl over him.  
Next time fight me with everything you have Ayami, he thought to himself as he dropped to another rooftop three miles away from the skyscraper. This building was smaller than the skyscraper he had traversed thirty minutes ago. From the outside it looked like a ramshackle house that had stood too many years to even be considered livable. The roof itself seemed to almost contour to the young warrior's feet as he landed the hang- kite. The growl that met him seemed to frighten him more than the unsteady footing.  
It stood before him, its metallic claws digging into the soft roof as its crystalline eyes scanned the intruder with intense scrutiny and a low growl as it watched the man pull Cypher from his back. Looking at the sword it padded over, its huge tiger-like legs leaving huge paw prints on the unstable roof. It softly sniffed the blade and opened its fanged mouth to softly lick Kage's hand.  
It's a cyborg, he thought as he moved the blade back and let the saber-toothed animal get used to his presence. Moving slowly he walked to a corner of the roof, the saber-toothed cyborg in toe as he lifted a hidden entrance and dropped in. The cat dropped in as well, landing softly to the left of Kage, and walking down the narrow hall and into the very far left door.  
The hall they landed in seemed much like any other inn, doors lined each side each numbered and an equal distance apart. The ceiling now looked as if brand new, no mark or sign of wear or weather marred the tile planks. After surveying his surroundings, Kage followed the cat to the door and entered.  
This room was filled with machinery. Blinking lights, automatic weapons, and constant blips were the main attractions here. Standing at a computer at the very far end of the room was a hunching man in a lab coat with long black hair down to his back. He seemed to be interested with whatever was on the screen and never noticed the approaching Strider.  
"What are you staring at Cyto, you dirty old man?" Kage asked as the man literally jumped three feet in the air spinning to face the intruder. Kage could get a better look at his friend now.  
His face seemed very young; his high cheek bones never letting his mouth seem to leave a smile. His eyes, however, seemed more troubled, the spark of life still there but somewhat diminished as he calmed at the sight of his friend and the cat. "I see you have met Legion," He said, dropping the "gun-bunnies" site he had on his computer and handing Kage a ring, "this ring will allow Legion to track you and find you anytime, just give a whistle and he'll be there."  
Kage took the ring and nodded to him. "It was Ayami this time."  
"Ayami's joined Overlord?" Cyto asked shocked.  
"I don't know," Kage answered with a sigh, "but it does seem she has lost hope."  
"What are you going to do?" Cyto asked genuinely concerned.  
"What I must to stop Overlord" he said with renewed resolve, "I'll do what I must if she tries to stop me again, as well." 


End file.
